Pino Early 80's sound: How-To? (Personal story included)

[MikeBass]

Originally Posted by fretless Bob

pino"s stingray has a rosewood fingerboard, they didnt make ebony boards until 80" and his is a 79" it sounds like the bass is recorded direct with possible a bit of reverb, it also sounds like theres a tiny bit of vibrato on the bass track as well.

if i was trying to cop that sound the stingray is the important thing, i wouldnt worry about gauge too much, maybe getting a vibrato pedal might help but i dont even think thats even that important, theres loads of live versions on youtube where his tone is pretty dry.

btw i had a look at Pino's stingray a while ago as well, seriously lovely bass.

Dave

I have an interview someplace (in an old BP mag- Mark King and Pino are on the cover), but his fingerboard was replaced a few times on the bass, and it was with ebony. Something I remember because I'm always a heart beat away from pulling the trigger on a fretless MM every time I see one. But they're rosewood now....

[MikeBass]

I just watched the OP's link to the Paul Young video....what kind of neck is on Pino's bass??????
That's not a MM neck on that one. There are four tuners on the top and it's not a five string...

[EddieG]

It's funny listening to Pino on that track, because there's bits when the OC-2 drops out and just leaves the straight bass tone.

And I know it does, because my OC-2 does it to me too!

[Freddels]

Fretless EBMM basses have Pau Ferro boards, not rosewood.

[Arnold]

Originally Posted by MikeBass

I just watched the OP's link to the Paul Young video....what kind of neck is on Pino's bass??????
That's not a MM neck on that one. There are four tuners on the top and it's not a five string...

The bass looked like a Vigier to me. Not sure of the spelling.
Funny, we talk about strings and the 'ray is gone

[jerry]

Kinda looks like a Moses neck to me.

[funkomatic]

I think I come really close to the sound he gets on "Come Back and Stay" with my Conklin, chorus and a little verb. I can also do a pretty copy of "Every Time You Go Away." Here's a recording of me from about 4 years ago trying it:

http://tinyurl.com/l8xbm9

I think that was a Lakland Skyline 55-01 lined fretless 5 I used to have. I've since realized I'm playing some of the riffs incorrectly, but it's not too bad. I was probably using DR nickel lights and an EBS chorus pedal.

I have always loved the sound he got with Gary Numan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuzvWHwmoVs

I think he might be using a gate on his sound, especially in Playhouse. That gives him the nice, crisp cutoff when he mutes the strings.

[king_biscuit]

Originally Posted by MikeBass

I have an interview someplace (in an old BP mag- Mark King and Pino are on the cover), but his fingerboard was replaced a few times on the bass, and it was with ebony. Something I remember because I'm always a heart beat away from pulling the trigger on a fretless MM every time I see one. But they're rosewood now....

Right, Pino's board was ebony. btw, EB Stingray fretlesses are pau ferro, not rosewood. Big difference!

[genderblind]

I met Pino a few weeks after Live Aid and asked him about his sound as I was set to buy a Stingray. He credited the tone to producer Laurie Latham immediately, which taught me a good lesson about respecting your creative collaborators.

[Ezbass]

Originally Posted by king_biscuit

Pino's board was ebony. btw,

Having played this very bass I can attest to this.

[MikeBass]

Originally Posted by king_biscuit

Right, Pino's board was ebony. btw, EB Stingray fretlesses are pau ferro, not rosewood. Big difference!

What is the difference? I thought pau ferro was in the rosewood tone family.

[king_biscuit]

Originally Posted by MikeBass

What is the difference? I thought pau ferro was in the rosewood tone family.

It's not. Pau Ferro is much harder and brighter than rosewood:

http://www.alembic.com/info/wood_fingerboards.html

[fretless Bob]

Originally Posted by MikeBass

I have an interview someplace (in an old BP mag- Mark King and Pino are on the cover), but his fingerboard was replaced a few times on the bass, and it was with ebony. Something I remember because I'm always a heart beat away from pulling the trigger on a fretless MM every time I see one. But they're rosewood now....

sorry to be a pain Mike but i have that issue and i have played Pino's fretless and it is most definately 100% rosewood, no doubt about it.

i go to the gallery in Camden all the time and Martin peterson works on Pino's basses, anyway apparently its on its 3rd fingerboard by now.

seriously no way its ebony, go dig out the issue.

Dave

[Caca de Kick]

Originally Posted by MikeBass

What is the difference? I thought pau ferro was in the rosewood tone family.

Sterling Ball says they use pau ferro because it is even harder than ebony, which is harder than rosewood. He said ebony comes in too many inconsistant hardnesses, and they knew people wanted to use roundwounds, hence the choice of pau ferro.

[NickInMesa]

You have to be hardcore to grind through rosewood. I have seen instruments where people had ground through the frets and even the pickups, but the rosewood fretboard was still intact.